The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The prostate is located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder, where urine is stored. The prostate surrounds the urethra, the canal through which urine passes out of the body. Prostate enlargement can result from a number of medical problems such as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), prostatic Bladder Neck Obstruction (BNO) and the like. The enlarged prostate applies pressure on the urethra and damages bladder function.
Transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) is an endoscopic procedure usually performed under general anaesthetic in which a surgeon employs an instrument (e.g., a scalpel, a laser beam generator and an electrical current actuator) inserted into the urethra for making incisions in the bladder neck where the prostate meets the bladder (i.e., more specifically in the midline to the level of the verumontanum). Incising the muscles in the bladder neck area relieves the obstructive effect of the prostate on the bladder neck and prostatic urethra and relaxes the opening of the bladder, thus decreasing resistance to the flow of urine out of the bladder. It is noted that, no tissue is removed during TUIP.
Infarction is a process resulting in a macroscopic area of necrotic tissue in some organ caused by loss of adequate blood supply. The inadequate blood supply can result from pressure applied to the blood vessels. Even by applying a relative small but continuous pressure on a tissue, one can block the tiny blood vessels within the tissue and induce infarction.
PCT patent application publication No. WO 2006/040767 A1 to the inventor, entitled “Prostate Treatment Stent” is directed at a tissue dissecting implant kit. The tissue dissecting implant kit includes an implant and a sterile package. The implant includes a plurality of rings elastically coupled there-between. An elastic pressure is applied on tissue caught between adjacent rings. The sterile package encompasses the implant. The implant has different distances between adjacent rings along its length. Alternatively, the implant has different material thickness or cross-section shape along its length. It is noted that, the tissue dissecting implant kit applies pressure on tissue caught between adjacent rings until the tissue is cut away or until the tissue falls off.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,725 issued to Roth, and entitled “Prostatic Urethra Dilatation Catheter System and Method”, is directed to an instrument for performing a transurethral balloon dilatation procedure of the prostate. The balloon dilatation instrument includes a hollow catheter and optical viewing means. The hollow catheter includes a shaft, an inflatable optically transparent balloon, and at least one suitable visible marking.
The distal end portion of the shaft is made of an optically transparent material. The inflatable optically transparent balloon is coupled with the distal end portion of the shaft, and is sized to dilate the prostatic urethra. The at least one suitable visible marking is positioned on the catheter proximally to the balloon, such that the marking can be visualized relative to a predetermined anatomical landmark (e.g., verumon tanum). In this manner, proper positioning of the balloon, relative to the prostatic urethra, is performed prior to and during the dilation of the prostatic urethra. The optical viewing means, is slidable within the catheter, for visibly viewing the marking intra-luminally from within the catheter. The balloon is correctly located relative to the prostatic urethra. The balloon is inflated so as to dilate the prostatic urethra without damaging the external sphincter at the apex of the prostate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,994 issued to Tihon et al., and entitled “Dilation Device for the Urethra”, is directed to a dilation device for opening a portion of an obstructed urethra. The dilation device includes an inner hollow tubular core and an outer confining covering. The inner hollow tubular core defines a lumen therein. The lumen is a conduit of sufficient diameter to permit urine to flow freely there-through from the bladder. The core is substantially non-collapsible. The outer confining covering is capable of expanding radially outwardly to a predetermined extent. The covering has a length of at least partially that of the obstructed portion of the urethra. The dilation device can further include retractable spikes for anchoring the device in its intended position.